MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. -- Recently, Capt. Ian Sylvester and 1st Lt. Michael McCrary, both of 341st Operations Group, received the General Thomas S. Power Award for the best overall missile crew in the Air Force. The award was presented at the 2016 Air, Space and Cyber Conference National Aerospace Symposium in Washington D.C. on Sept. 19.
The two missileers were honored upon learning they would receive the award.
“It definitely was a great feeling and a big accomplishment,” said Sylvester. “We have very few major awards in our career field and this is one of them, so to get that award was a big honor.”
“It was totally unexpected,” said McCrary. “It’s a good feeling to be recognized as the top crew out of all the missile crews in the whole Air Force. It’s definitely a personal accomplishment for me as well.”
Sylvester and McCrary agreed that taking on diverse taskings within their field, as well as extracurricular activities gave them the advantage in getting the award.
“It was constant participation on both of our parts,” said Sylvester. “From participating in Global Strike Challenges, which helped bring home trophies, to help setting up drills out in the field, we were always training our peers while maintaining our own job proficiency.”
“Along with that, getting involved in extracurricular activities help us out,” said McCrary. “In our case, working on our academic degrees and getting involved in professional development boards was key in getting recognized.”
When asked on giving advice for someone who’s striving to be acknowledged in such fashion, their answer was simple.
“Work hard to know your job really well,” said Sylvester. “Another big thing is having the right attitude for this job. For instance, schedules change constantly so you always have to be in the mindset of that happening and adapting to any changes that may arise. It’s what we signed up for, so maintaining that positivity is a must.”
The annual award is named after Thomas S. Power, a four-star general who served 35 years in the Air Force and became commander in chief for Strategic Air Command between 1957 until his retirement in 1964. During his tenure as SAC commander, he became a staunch advocate for nuclear deterrence, a policy of peace through the achievement of nuclear superiority.